Low Carb Sausage Cream Cheese Pinwheels
I have always loved appetizers, and have recently started out on a quest to convert my old favorites into ones that are low carb, gluten-free and grain-free. One of my most recent victories in this attempt is my Taco Roll recipe.
So if you haven’t seen that recipe be sure to hop over and check it out. Finding a way to transform that family favorite into one we can enjoy without spiking our blood sugar was a major win and these pinwheels were my latest victory!
Low Carb Sausage Cream Cheese Pinwheels
INGREDIENTS
Pinwheel Dough
3/4 cup of Almond Flour
2 Tbsp of oat fiber (or 2 Tbsp of coconut flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
8 oz. of Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
2 oz of Cream Cheese
1 lg. beaten egg
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of onion powder
Sausage Filling
8 oz. of breakfast sausage, browned (I make my own)
4 oz. of Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup Monteray Jack Cheese, shredded (or Cheddar)
INSTRUCTIONS
For the pinwheel dough add in your shredded cheese and your 2 oz of cream cheese to a microwave safe bowl.
Melt the cheeses together until they are soft enough to blend them together with your spoon. You want your cheese mixture to be very soft and mixable. I start out nuking it for 1 full minute then stir it. If it is still stiff then return it to the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds at a time until it is very smooth.
Add in your dry ingredients, the beaten egg and spices to the melted cheese and stir well. You want all the dry ingredients to be incorporated into the cheese. This will take some work on your part as the dough gets stiff. I often use my hands at this point to kneed the dough until it is all mixed. Be careful the cheese is still hot at this point.
If your dough gets to stiff while you are working with it just stick it back in the microwave for 15-20 more seconds so it will loosen up.
After mixing the dough you should not have any clumps of dry mixture showing. If you still see it then work and kneed your dough more. You need all the ingredients to be completely mixed together.
Set you dough aside and cover with plastic wrap while you work on your filling.
Brown your sausage and drain off all the grease before adding in the 4 oz of cream cheese.
Let the cream cheese melt into the sausage over low heat. Stir often to avoid scorching the cream cheese.
Let your mixture cool completely.
When ready to make your pinwheels, you can roll out your dough on a well greased board or between two pieces of greased plastic wrap. I like to use my cutting board that I spray with cooking spray. But any nonstick surface or the plastic wrap will do. Just spray it well
Roll your dough out into a rectangular shape as best you can. Your dough should be about 1/8 -1/4 of an inch thick when done.
Spread the sausage mixture evenly over the dough and top it with the 1/2 cup of Monteray Jack Cheese. You can sub any cheese you like, I just like the melt factor in the Jack.
When you begin to roll your pinwheels make sure you get the roll as tight as possible. I do this by rolling the first in in tight then as I roll again I pull back toward me slightly. This stretches the dough a little and allows your to roll it tighter.
Continue this rolling process until you have your roll completed.
Carefully cover the roll with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 min. You can even make the roll in the morning and cook them later that evening. I like these for breakfast too with eggs so I make the dough the night before and wrap it very well. Then slice and bake when ready.
To bake the pinwheels you will need to slice it with a sharp knife. I find that a bread knife or serrated knife works best. You should be able to get 22-24 slices from your pinwheel log.
Place them on a slightly greased baking sheet and bake them at 400 degrees for about 12-14 minutes. Start watching them closely after 10 minutes. You want them brown and crisp but not overly dry.
Note: I have updated the post above to included instructions for freezer these pinwheels. They are just as awesome after freezing as they are when baked right away!
***Estimated Nutritional Information per pinwheel using my brands and oat fiber option: Calories: 121, Fat: 10 grams, Carbs: 2.4 grams, Fiber: 1 gram Net Carbs: 1.4 grams, Protein: 6 grams, Sodium: 239 grams.
NOTES
Estimated Nutritional Information per pinwheel using my brands and oat fiber option: Calories: 121, Fat: 10 grams, Carbs: 2, Fiber: 1 Net Carbs: 1, Protein: 6 grams, Sodium: 239grams.